


Brave

by braddocks



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braddocks/pseuds/braddocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry's the hero, but when it comes right down to it, he's not the brave one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brave

**Author's Note:**

> TITLE: Brave  
> AUTHOR: braddocks  
> PAIRING: ColdFlash - Barry Allen/Leonard Snart  
> RATING: G  
> NOTES: Brief mention of a Legends of Tomorrow character, but beyond that, no real spoilers. In my head, it's set once the show gets going. If you can think of a better title for it, please let me know!

It was one of the stupidest things that anyone had ever done for Barry. Barry could heal at a rapid pace, he could take a few punches. He could usually outrun a bullet. No, it wasn't ever a full-proof plan, and someday, he could wind up dead, but the chances were slim for him compared to someone who didn't have his abilities.

"He's going to be okay, Barry," Caitlin's hand on his shoulder wasn't helping. Barry shrugged her off and didn't reply. She sighed, and left shortly after, clearly going to send in the next victim.

Barry stared down at the pale, unmoving form on the bed in front of him. Nothing was going to penetrate the fog that had wrapped itself around him until those eyes opened.

"She's right, man," Cisco chimed in. He stood behind Barry in the doorframe. Barry didn't say anything to him, either. "The silent treatment isn't going to help you, him, or any of us."

Cisco was right, but Barry didn't care. They'd let Len go after him. He could handle the meta, but Len couldn't. Barry knew Len could take care of himself. He'd been doing that for years before he'd even met Barry, but the meta was new. They hadn't even discovered the source of her powers yet. He didn't want _any_ of his friends going up against something until they knew the facts.

Hard, cold facts.

The puns never went away, even when Len was unconscious on a table in front of him. Barry sighed, trailing his fingers down Len's hand.

"Barry—"

"We had a fight this morning," Barry said, finally speaking for the first time. Cisco went silent at the interruption, and he was probably just as surprised as Barry was as the words started to spill out of him. "We've been circling each other for weeks. Something has been brewing between us, this attraction neither of us can understand. I've been trying my best to ignore it, but not Len. He's been trying to get me to at least talk about it to him. What was there to talk about? He's an ex-criminal, barely accepting his heroisms. None of you would understand. _I barely understand it._ If I couldn't, how could I expect any of you to?"

Barry shrugged, and he turned to give Cisco a half smile.

"Len's proved who the brave one is between us. I'm still that scared 11 year-old-boy craving acceptances from his peers, before accepting it for himself. I'm sabotaging my own happiness."

"I think you're plenty brave, Barry," Cisco started carefully, stepping the short distance to stand next to Barry. He squeezed his arm gently. "You go out there, every day, saving the world for people who didn't even ask you to do it, dude. You don't have to keep going out there, but you do because you know it's the right thing to do. Just like I know you'll choose the right thing to do with Snart here, for you and for him." He shot the unconscious man an uneasy look. Barry didn't need to see Cisco's face to know the expression. Cisco wore it every time Captain Cold joined them in meta-hunting, which was becoming more and more frequent lately between Rip Hunter's missions.

"Not when it counts." Barry sighed, and glanced sideways at Cisco. "Do you mind if I'm alone with him for a while?"

"Sure, go for it. Caitlin and I'll monitor his vitals from the other room. Call us if you need us. I'll keep trying to get hold of Lisa."

Barry nodded at Cisco's words, and turned his attention back to Len. Barry swallowed, and slipped their hands together, squeezing gently. "Once you wake up, I'll fix this Len."

\--

Hours later, Barry was dozing in a chair next to Len's bed, when Len began to stir. The low moan woke Barry, and he sat up, instantly alert.

"I feel like someone shot me." The words came out in a low growling rasp, but to Barry, they were music to his ears.

"They did," Barry said, flatly, but the clutch of Len's hand in his said something else. "Why would you jump in front of a bullet? You could have been killed!"

"I wasn't the only stupid one out there, Scarlet." Len groaned, and Caitlin slipped into the room, trying to be as discreet as possible. Barry nodded at her and he turned his attention back to Len, glaring at him. "You taunted her into doing something, Barry, and instead of using her powers like you wanted, she shot at you. I wasn't going to stand there and let you be the damn martyr."

"You shouldn't have been there at all," Barry muttered, but he lowered his eyes. Len was right, of course Len was right. Barry always ran head first into situations, barely waiting for his team to help him form a plan. Who had time to wait when someone's life was in danger? Barry could usually get out of most situations. He knew that someday he might not be able to, but until then…

"I'm a hero now, remember?" Len asked, drily. Barry spared him a small grin.

"Yeah, how could I forget." Barry acknowledged. He was the one who usually had to remind Len that he was no longer the criminal the world viewed him as. Sure, he'd always have that past, but it was more than that now. "But I've been thinking."

"Dangerous, Allen."

"That's what we tell him," Caitlin murmured, and Barry had forgotten she was there. She was checking Len's bandage, and the two shared an amused look, that had Barry sitting back with a playful huff, and roll of eyes. Caitlin winked at Barry, and once again retreated, leaving the two alone.

"You were right."

"I'm always right. What about this time, Barry?"

Barry crossed his arms over his chest and nearly stuck his tongue out at Len. He'd deserve it, but Barry was just so relieved that Len was okay.

"Our fight this morning. About…" Barry swallowed, still not quite ready to go forward with it, but knowing he had to. It had almost been over today. "…Us."

"I thought you said that there would never be an ‘us.'" There was a hint of bitterness in Len's words, and Barry knew he'd earned them. "You were the one that left in the middle of the fight, Scarlet, or did you forget?"

"I didn't forget. I'm still not ready to announce to the world that I have it bad for Captain Cold, but maybe Barry and Len could try going out." Barry was constantly telling Len what a good person he was becoming, but how could Len believe that when Barry was constantly shutting down the other man's advances? And he knew that's what today had been about. It was about proving to Barry about how important he was to Len.

"Can I choose where we go then?"

"No, because I'm not watching you get drunk at Saints & Sinners again."

"One time," Len muttered, but Barry was grinning, and so was Len.

"One time last week," Barry corrected, and he leaned back in the chair, taking Len's hand again. He was okay. Len was okay. Going on a date with a budding new hero was okay.

It was gonna be okay.


End file.
